John 20:19-23 (NRSV)
Read John 20:19-23 on biblegateway.com
Verse 19When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Verse 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Verse 21Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." Verse 22When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Verse 23If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
Devotion
Do you always lock your doors? Some people always do. In our Brooklyn apartment no one is able to enter the outer door of the building without a key or without being buzzed in by way of the intercom. Today's reading takes place on the first Easter evening in the city of Jerusalem and it says the disciples were behind locked doors "in the house where they had met... for fear of the Jews." Suddenly, without a key, without invitation and without being buzzed in "Jesus came and stood among them." Locks are security devices and are very popular wherever fear is present. Those who are most afraid are certain their fear is based on some real danger, but sometimes it is revealed as being irrational. Whatever the case, even today Christians are not always confident and worry free.
But we are comforted to read that Jesus came among his frightened disciples in the same way as he gets past all our own locked doors to announce "Peace be with you." Peace, not as the world gives, but only as the risen Lord can give. Christ is risen and today he says to each of us, "Peace be with you!"
Prayer
Who's that knocking at my door? Is that you Jesus? Come in today. Come in to stay. Come into my heart, and life today. Christ is Risen! Amen.